Beverage Container

ABSTRACT

A beverage container includes at least a bag. The bag includes a relatively flexible body and a relatively rigid neck formed together with the relatively flexible body. The relatively rigid neck includes an aperture through which beverage can travel into and out of the bag.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a beverage container and, moreparticularly, to an easy-to-carry beverage container.

2. Related Prior Art

There are various containers for beverage. For example, there arebottles, kettles, jars, jugs and bags. Bottles and bags are particularlyuseful for users who are traveling. Bags are less rigid than bottles.Hence, a bag can be carried more easily than a bottle when it is empty.However, a bottle can be maneuvered to pour beverage more easily than abag. Therefore, a bag is often equipped with a flexible tube asdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,349 and Taiwanese Patent Nos. 291654,533783 and M437102 for example.

Therefore, the present invention is intended to obviate or at leastalleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide afoldable flat beverage container that can easily be stored and carried.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the beverage container includes atleast a bag. The bag includes a relatively rigid neck provided on arelatively flexible body. The relatively rigid neck includes an aperturethrough which beverage can travel into and out of the bag.

In another aspect, the beverage container further includes a restrainingelement for bundling the relatively rigid neck and the relativelyflexible body when the bag is folded.

Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention willbe apparent from the following description referring to the attacheddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described via detailed illustration ofeight embodiments referring to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a beverage container according to thefirst embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the beverage container illustrated inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a beverage container according to thesecond embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a beverage container according to thethird embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the beverage containershown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a partial, cross-sectional view of a beverage containeraccording to the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a partial, cross-sectional view of a beverage containeraccording to the fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a beverage container according to thesixth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the beverage container in anotherposition than shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a beverage container according to theseventh embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a partial, cross-sectional view of a beverage containeraccording to the eighth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a partial, cross-sectional view of the beverage container inanother position than shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is an exploded view of a beverage container according to a ninthembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a side view of a beverage container according to a tenthembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 15 is a side view of the beverage container in another positionthan shown in FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is a beverage container according to afirst embodiment of the present invention. The beverage containerincludes a bag 10 and a cap 40. The bag 10 includes a neck 14 providedon a body 12. The body 12 is a relatively flexible portion of the bag 10while the neck 14 is a relatively rigid portion of the bag 10.

The body 12 can be made of food-grade silicone, rubber, PU,thermo-plastic rubber (“TPR”), or a combination of the three. TPRincludes but not limited to TPE, TPV, TPU or TPO. The above-mentionedmaterials are flexible and less vulnerable to heat than other flexiblefood-grade materials. The body 12 is transparent or translucent so thatthe beverage level therein can be observed. The body 12 includes a frontstrip, a rear strip, two lateral strips, a lower strip 22, and a space24 defined by these strips. The lower strip 22 is an elongated stripwith a length-width ratio of 1.5:1 or larger. The lower strip 22 canroughly be a rectangular strip. The lower strip 22 includes a bottom 56that is flat so that the bag 10 can firmly be placed on a plane. Both ofthe front and rear strips include pleats 26 so that the body 12 canexpand to contain a lot of beverage and shrink to fit in a limitedspace. The pleats 26 enhance the rigidity of the body 12.

The neck 14 includes a front strip, a rear strip, two lateral strips andan upper strip. The neck 14 further includes an aperture 32 made in theupper strip and a groove 36 made in the front, rear and lateral strips.The neck 14 can be a slim (or flat) portion made with a width identicalto or smaller than 5 cm.

The cap 40 includes a ring 41 connected thereto by a string and a plug42 formed on a lower side. The ring 41 and the plug 42 are elasticelements.

The body 12 and the neck 14 are made together by molding for example.The ring 41 is placed in the groove 36 to connect the cap 40 to the neck14. The plug 42 can easily be fit in the aperture 32 to shut the bag 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is a beverage container according to a secondembodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identicalto the first embodiment except several things. Firstly, the neck 14extends longer for better handling of the bag 10. Secondly, the neck 14is formed with a thread 48. A cap 44 is used instead of the cap 40. Thecap 44 is formed with a thread 46 that can be engaged with thread 48 toclose the bag 10.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is a beverage container according to athird embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment isidentical to the second embodiment except several things. Firstly,reinforcing strips 54 are adhered to at least one of the lateral stripsof the body 12 to enhance the rigidity of the bag 10. The reinforcingstrips 54 can be made in various aesthetically pleasant forms such asflowers. The reinforcing strips 54 can alternatively be made in variousgeometric figures. Secondly, a cap 50 is used instead of the cap 44. Thecap 50 is identical to the cap 44 except including a rectangularprofile. Thirdly, the bottom 56 is concave.

The bottom 56 is flat or concave as illustrated above. The bottom 56 canhowever be in any other proper shape as long as it can form a flatsurface or define a plane for contact with a flat surface such as atable, a desk and the ground. Thus, the bag 10 can stand on the table,desk or ground.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is a beverage container according to a fourthembodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is identicalto the third embodiment except that the reinforcing strips 54 areembedded in at least one of the lateral strips of the body 12.

Referring to FIG. 7, there is a beverage container according to a fifthembodiment of the present invention. The fifth embodiment is identicalto the fourth embodiment except that the reinforcing strips 54 areformed together with at least one of the lateral strips of the body 12by molding.

Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, there is a beverage container according to asixth embodiment of the present invention. The sixth embodiment isidentical to the third embodiment except several things. Firstly, arestraining element 60 is used instead of the reinforcing strips 54. Therestraining element 60 is made with an annular (or continuous)configuration. Only the body 12 is bundled by the restraining element 60to facilitate the handling of the bag 10 when the bag 10 is in use. Thebody 12 is folded, and the body 12 and the neck 14 are both bundled bythe restraining element 60 to reduce the profile of the bag 10 when thebag 10 is in storage. The restraining element 60 can be made of textilefor example. Secondly, the cap 50 is formed with a groove 51 instead ofthe thread 46 while the neck 14 is formed with a rib 58 instead of thethread 48. The rib 58 can be placed in the groove 51 to close the bag10.

Referring to FIG. 10, there is a beverage container according to aseventh embodiment of the present invention. The seventh embodiment isidentical to the sixth embodiment except including a restraining element62 instead of the restraining element 60. The restraining element 62 isidentical to the restraining element 60 except that it is in the form ofa cup.

Referring to FIG. 11, there is a beverage container according to aneighth embodiment of the present invention. The eighth embodiment islike the first embodiment except several things. Firstly, there is aflexible tube 16 in addition. The flexible tube 16 is inserted in theaperture 32. Beverage is sucked into a user's mouth from the bag 10through the flexible tube 16. Secondly, a cap 43 is used instead of thecap 40. The cap 43 is formed together with the neck 14 by molding forexample. The cap 43 includes a pressing element 45 formed in an internalside and a hook 49 formed on an external side. The neck 14 includes arecess 18.

Referring to FIG. 12, the cap 43 is kept on the neck 14 by inserting thehook 49 in the recess 18. The flexible tube 16 is folded by the cap 43and pressed against the upper strip of the neck 14 by the pressingelement 45. Thus, there is no leak of beverage through the flexible tube16 when the bag 10 is closed by the cap 43.

Referring to FIG. 13, there is a beverage container according to a ninthembodiment of the present invention. The ninth embodiment is like thefirst embodiment except several things. Firstly, the neck 14 of the bag10 is as flexible as the body 12. Secondly, there is additionally arigid collar 11 fit around the neck 14. The rigid collar 11 includes twobosses 13. Thirdly, the cap 40 includes two grooves 47 each extendinglike a section of a thread. The bosses 13 are placed in the grooves 47and then the cap 40 is rotated on the rigid collar 11 so that the cap 40is attached to the rigid collar 11. The combination of the bosses 13with the grooves 47 is particularly useful to precisely position the cap40 on the rigid collar 11 when the cap 40 is tight on the rigid collar11 where the cap 40 and the rigid collar 11 are made of a non-circularconfiguration.

The rigid collar 11 can be connected to the neck 14 by any other propermeans such as adhesion, ultrasonic waves, buckles and hooks. The cap 40can be engaged with the rigid collar 11 by any other proper means suchas threads, buckles and hooks.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, there is a beverage container according toa tenth embodiment of the present invention. The tenth embodiment islike the first embodiment except that there are two plates 15 extendingfrom two opposite sides of the neck 14. Each of the plates 15 and theneck 14 can be used together as a clip for holding onto a belt worn by auser for example when the bag 10 is filled with beverage. The plates 15can be used together as a clip for holding the body 12 in a folded orrolled position when the bag 10 is clear of beverage.

The present invention has been described via the detailed illustrationof the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations fromthe embodiments without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of thepresent invention defined in the claims.

1. A beverage container comprising a bag comprising: a relativelyflexible body mainly made of at least one material selected from thegroup consisting of silicone, rubber, PU and thermo-plastic rubber; arelatively rigid neck provided on the relatively flexible body, whereinthe relatively rigid neck includes an aperture through which beveragecan travel into and out of the bag; and at least one reinforcing elementprovided on the relatively flexible body in a manner selected from thegroup of adhesion, embedding and molding.
 2. The beverage containeraccording to claim 1, wherein the relatively flexible body is at leasttranslucent so that beverage level in the bag is observable.
 3. Thebeverage container according to claim 1, wherein the relatively flexiblebody includes a bottom with a length-width ratio of at least 1.5:1. 4.The beverage container according to claim 1, wherein the relativelyflexible body includes at least one pleat.
 5. The beverage containeraccording to claim 1 comprising at least one restraining elementselected from the group consisting of an annular element and a cup. 6.The beverage container according to claim 1 comprising: a flexible tubeinserted in the aperture so that the beverage can be sucked into auser's mouth from the bag through the flexible tube; and a cap forclosing the bag, wherein the cap includes a pressing element forpressing the flexible tube against the relatively rigid neck while thecap bends the flexible tube for double leak-prevention.
 7. A beveragecontainer including a bag made with a flat configuration with alength-width ratio of at least 1.5:1 and made of at least one flexiblematerial selected from the group consisting of silicone, rubber, PU andthermo-plastic rubber.
 8. The beverage container according to claim 7,wherein the bag is made with a width smaller than 5 cm.
 9. The beveragecontainer according to claim 7, comprising at least one reinforcingelement attached to the bag in a manner selected from the groupconsisting of adhesion, embedding and molding.
 10. The beveragecontainer according to claim 7, comprising a restraining elementselected from the group consisting of an annular element and a cup. 11.A beverage container comprising a bag made of a flexible foldablematerial and at least one plate provided on one side of the bag.
 12. Thebeverage container according to claim 11, comprising at least onereinforcing element attached to the bag in a manner selected from thegroup consisting of adhesion, embedding and molding.